Ancient Castle Discovered in Lake Van, Turkey

Posted on November 24, 2017

Built around 3,000 years ago, the ancient castle was just rediscovered submerged in Lake Van, Eastern Turkey.

A group of researchers, divers and photographers were exploring the depths of Lake Van, in the Van province in Eastern Turkey, looking for the legendary Lake Van Monster. Instead, they stumbled upon a lost 3,000-year-old ancient castle just sitting at the lakebed.

The prehistoric fortress is believed to have been built by Urartu civilization, an iron age community that flourished between the 9th and 6th century BC.

Before stepping into the waters, archaeologists at the local Van Yüzüncü Yıl University were told not to expect any findings in the lake.

Ruins of the ancient castle found under Lake Van, Turkey – YouTube

Many legends about monsters living in the lake from Ottoman, Kurdish and Armenian origins have made it a popular tourist destination. However, many attempts to capture the mystical creature have failed.

Urartu, also known as the Kingdom of Van, was an ancient state that stretched between modern day Turkey, Armenia and Iran. The kingdom largely situated itself around Lake Van, as it is thought to have played a central role in their culture.

This was however not the first discovery the team has made in the lake. Last year they found around two and a half kilometers of stalagmites, which were named the “underwater fairy chimneys”.

Earlier in 2017 they also found the wreckage of a Russian ship believed to have sunk in the lake in 1948.